Republican memo: Steele dossier 'essential' part of request to spy on Trump aide

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U.S. President Donald Trump walks on South Lawn upon his return to the White House in Washington, U.S., from Greenbrier, WV, February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican memo unclassified by President Donald Trump on Friday says an FBI official acknowledged to lawmakers that a dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele was an “essential part” of an application for surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

The memo, which alleges anti-Trump bias at the FBI and Justice Department, said none of surveillance requests for Page submitted by the Justice Department disclosed that the Democratic Party paid for the dossier.

The memo quoted Steele as telling a Justice Department official he was "desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president." tmsnrt.rs/2DU27hD